First GREEN Bank Blogtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-18603612013-05-29T13:26:29-05:00First Green Bank is the first bank of its kind to promote positive environmental and social responsibility while operating as a traditional bank.TypePadFirstGreenBankBloghttps://feedburner.google.comStepping Out For Education - 2013tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c019102b04b3a970c2013-05-29T13:26:29-05:002013-06-05T15:42:15-05:00Our very own Paul Rountree and five other area celebrities will be dancing the fox trot, rumba, cha cha, swing and tango with professional dancers from around the state. Each dancer has received 20 hours of instruction and is ready...Ken

Our very own Paul Rountree and five other area celebrities will be dancing the fox trot, rumba, cha cha, swing and tango with professional dancers from around the state. Each dancer has received 20 hours of instruction and is ready to perform in front of nationally renowned judges and you. Audience voting will be combined with judges' scores to name the winner of Stepping Out for Education, a local version of "Dancing with the Stars".

Event is on July 27th at 5:30 at the Lake Reception Center. Ticket price includes a five course gourmet meal, wine and beer bar, dancing, and a vote for the star of your choice.

Come out to support Paul! We will continue to post updates on how his rehearsals are going so stay tuned!

January Business of the Month - OakWood Smokehouse & Grilltag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c017d3f6a855d970c2013-01-02T11:46:47-05:002013-01-02T11:46:47-05:00Congratulations to our January 2013 Business of the Month!Ken

Congratulations to our January 2013 Business of the Month!

First GREEN Bank HQ Is Officially LEED Platinum Certified!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c017c34b5d6f7970b2012-12-17T13:56:04-05:002012-12-17T13:56:04-05:00First GREEN Bank is happy to announce that our “World Headquarters” building in Mount Dora has now been officially certified LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council! LEED Platinum is the highest possible rating by the U.S. Green Building...Ken

First
GREEN Bank is happy to announce that our “World Headquarters” building in Mount
Dora has now been officially certified LEED Platinum by the U.S.
Green Building Council!

LEED
Platinum is the highest possible rating by the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC), and First GREEN Bank’s new headquarters is actually built to exceed
the LEED Platinum standards set by the USGBC for energy efficiency,
environmental sensitivity and the safety, security and comfort of its
customers, workers and the community. In fact, it is one of the most
environmentally-sustainable and energy-efficient bank buildings in the
southeastern United States, and it is only the seventh privately-owned
commercial building in the state of Florida built and certified to LEED
Platinum standards and specifications (and only the second LEED Platinum
building in Lake County).

Emphasizing
energy-efficiency and water conservation while utilizing recycled and healthy
building materials, both the interior and exterior of the building were
meticulously planned to minimize environmental impact during construction as
well as over the long term. The goal was to fuse form and function in the
design of the headquarters, and a great deal of time and thought went into
achieving that synergy.

First
GREEN Bank’s objective is that through education and influence it can help
change attitudes. First GREEN Bank has led an impactful and successful
charge to show people there is a better way to do business which is
financially, environmentally, and socially responsible. One of the
integral ways in which First GREEN Bank strives to accomplish this is through
the construction or conversion of its buildings for energy efficiency. As
noted by the U.S. Green Building Council: “Buildings in the United States are
responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water
consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of
significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building
efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national
commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American
jobs.”

And,
as one of First GREEN Bank CEO Ken LaRoe’s foremost business heroes – Yvon
Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, Inc. – states in his recent book, The
Responsible Company:

“…The introduction of Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) standards revolutionize commercial construction by
proving that greener building standards create healthier workspaces and that
better-quality construction repays owners and investors over time…

The commercial construction industry ten years
ago was no bastion of green: its old, fixed-budget business model, based on the
low bid, drove down quality at every stage of design and construction.
Every builder had requirements to build to code but no incentives to build in
resource-saving systems that might cut the building owner’s cost in the long
run but not the short. Enter the LEED certification system for building
to energy-efficient standards with less environmental harm. At the time it
was introduced in 2000, only 635 buildings worldwide could comply. As of
2012, more than 40,000 LEED-certified projects have been built or are in the
works.

LEED has educated building owners and managers
to the long-term high cost of cheap heating and air conditioning (and of
cleaning a building with high levels of indoor pollution), as well as to the
savings inherent in new materials and design. An initial 2 percent
increase in the cost of a new LEED-certified project incurs savings of ten
times that amount over the life of the building. A LEED retrofit saves
owners an annual 90 cents a square foot; they make their investment back in two
years. LEED is becoming the standard for commercial properties and, in
the process, changing the urban landscape.”

After
being named the “2011 Business of the Year” by the U.S. Green Building
Council’s Central Florida Chapter, it is a great achievement and recognition of
the efforts of everyone involved with First GREEN Bank for our “World
Headquarters” building to now be officially certified LEED Platinum by USGBC.

December Business of the Month - Warner Christian Academytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c017c343aa56b970b2012-12-03T09:38:35-05:002012-12-03T09:38:35-05:00Congratulation to our December 2012 Business of the Month!Ken

Congratulation to our December 2012 Business of the Month!

November Business of the Month: Tri-County Orthopaedic Centertag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c017ee4a237c0970d2012-11-01T09:25:45-05:002012-11-01T09:25:45-05:00Congratulations to our November 2012 Business of the Month!Ken

Congratulations to our November 2012 Business of the Month!

October Business of the Month: Scoma Lawtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c017ee3e553c2970d2012-10-01T10:06:01-05:002012-10-01T10:06:01-05:00Congratulations to our October 2012 Business of the MonthKen

Congratulations to our October 2012 Business of the Month

September Business of the Month: Hawkeye Brothers Signs & Graphicstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c017744714113970d2012-08-31T12:39:52-05:002012-08-31T12:39:52-05:00Congratulations to our September 2012 Business of the Month!Ken

Congratulations to our September 2012 Business of the Month!

August Business of the Month: Hunter Vision | 3D LASIKtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c017743d0da9a970d2012-07-31T16:04:34-05:002012-07-31T16:04:34-05:00Congratulations to our August 2012 Business of the Month!Ken

Congratulations to our August 2012 Business of the Month!

July Business of the Month: Palm Tire & Automotivetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01156f47ab68970c016767f2ec8f970b2012-07-02T08:21:26-05:002012-07-02T08:21:26-05:00Congratulations to our July 2012 Business of the Month!Ken